Steer Clear of Violence (Gangs)

          “In Wilmington, 99% of the crime is gang related,” and, “95% of shootings, overall, involve gangs,” says LAPD officer Sean Crabbe. There has been intermittent improvement in gang issues, in recent years. But lately it has become more difficult to control the situation. Gang injunctions are not being served, it is hard for local people to recognize a gang member and graffiti elevates the issue.

          “The biggest tool the city has to fight gangs are gang injunctions,” Crabbe says. Starting in 2004, Los Angeles fought gangs with injunctions, “a court order form a judge stating that a certain gang has created crime in a certain area. He creates an injunction against them, and, an injunction is a list of rules they have to abide by, and, if they don't abide by them, they can go to jail,” Crabbe says. “For the past two years we haven’t been able to serve [injunctions] because the city attorney is in a battle right now about how people should be served and if they’re allowed to get off the gang injunction.” For example, Crabbe says, “a kid that’s 14 getting into the gangs, now he’s 16 and a full-fledged gang member and he’s not subject to the gang injunction.” That is a problem, Crabbe says, “it’s a real problem because we’re seeing an increase in gang activity out in the area.”

            Prior to 2004 people were afraid to hang out in local parks because of the gang presence. Since then, local people fill up the parks. After the use of injunctions, violence decreased significantly. With gang injunctions no longer served, Crabbe says, “the number one concern for the community is crime that involves gang members.”

            To make gang issues more complicated, people are now having a harder time identifying gang members and therefore avoiding the violence altogether. “People used to think, ‘oh he’s got a tattoo, he’s a gang member.’ That’s not true anymore, everyone has tattoos, but most normal people who get tattoos, don't get tattoos on their face.” For example, “in Wilmington” Crabbe says, “they’ll have ‘WSW,’ [West Side Wilmas] on their face, the side of their neck, on their arms, but it’s hard for someone who doesn't know the area to just see a guy with a ‘WSW’ tattoo down his arm to know that he’s a gang member in Wilmington. You can assume, if he’s got a shaved head, baggy clothing, but that doesn’t always mean it anymore.” Times have changed. “Kids wear baggy clothing and have tattoos now, that's why we have these gang officers who are qualified to testify in court on why this person is a gang member,” Crabbe says.

            Graffiti also plays a large role in gang violence. It exists, Crabbe says, “to lay their claim to that area.” For instance, “you’ll see a gang moniker, like ‘WSW,’ and an arrow pointing down to the ground, and that’s their area” Crabbe also mentions “roll call,” he says, “you will see a gang moniker and then all of their own gang monikers which are their nicknames.” Gangs also vandalize, Crabbe says, “for the intimidation factor. They’ll go into other gang areas and mark up their area saying, ‘hey we know this is your area, but we’re still around.’” Also, he says, “a lot of times you’ll see a gang put up their gang graffiti and then a rival gang will come over and ‘X’ out all their gang graffiti and put their own gang graffiti over it.” Graffiti is a “way they establish their turf”

            With gangs and therefore, graffiti, being so prevalent, the issue of how to control vandalism comes up. “It’s hard to control because usually it happens late at night in areas that are unlit. But, what we do have here is GAP, [gang alternatives program,]” Crabbe says. “It's a program that will go out and take the graffiti off. That’s basically our only tool right now, just to get it removed as quick as possible.”

          Tagging is more prevalent than graffiti when it comes to the city’s vandalism issue. “A tagger is not a gang member per say, but he’s a tagger…I would say we have a bigger problem with tagging than gang graffiti.” However, Crabbe points out, “the tagging won't start violence, but the gang graffiti could start violence,” an important distinction between the two.  

            In creating laws to deter graffiti and gang violence, the issue of gangs overall can be controlled. “As long as they continue injunctions,” Crabbe says, “the violence can improve, there is always room for improvement.” The gang issue will not disappear. Crabbe says, “gangs are generational, they have been around since the beginning of time, they will never not be an issue completely.” For any improvement to be made, Crabbe says, “the court system needs to be tougher on convictions.”